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Medical and Dental News
A la b a m a
ALABAM A B o y s ’ In d u stria l
S ch o o l:
At
the industrial school, at East Lake, a review of three and a half years shows the follow ing conditions regarding the condition of the teeth of newly admitted boys: 3 per cent of these boys do not need dental care and have clean teeth; 8 per cent do not need dental care, but the teeth need cleaning; 13 per cent need extraction and cleaning of teeth; 24 per cent need extractions, fillings and clean ing of the teeth; 52 per cent are in need of fillings and cleaning of the teeth. An idea of the am ount of work done in the clinic connected w ith the school m ay he gained from the follow ing figures: N um ber of boys examined, 1913; number given care, 1,010; extractions including a large num ber of deciduous teeth, 869; num ber of cavities filled, 2,007; special dentures, inlays, bridges, etc., 10; roentgen-ray examinations, 42; treatm ent for pyorrhea, 19 patients; orthodontia, 1. C A L IF O R N IA M e d ica l L ic e n se In v e stig a tio n in C a li fo rn ia : California, like Connecticut, is
now endeavoring to free herself from diploma purchasers and other incompe tents who, in some way or other, have obtained licenses to practice medicine in that state. I f the investigation follows a well considered plan, such as is evidently being followed in Connecticut, much good should result. According to present re ports, however, graduates of all medical schools in Missouri are to be debarred from licensure in California— a ruling that is unjust to the three reputable, high grade medical schools in St. Louis and Colum bia. The investigation is including not only the graduates of the inferior m edi cal schools of Missouri and those holding credits from the supposedly defunct Pacific Medical of Los Angeles— reported to have been involved w ith the Missouri diploma-mill ring in issuing credits— but also the graduates of low grade medical
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schools in Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and elsewhere. W hile the cooperation of the Missouri state hoard of health has ap parently been promised, the reports criti cize the Missouri board for recognizing credentials of the low grade medical schools in Missouri, a blame that is not deserved, since graduates of these schools were refused recognition by that board u ntil 1921, when a change in the medical practice law forced such recognition. The reports state also that licenses is sued in Missouri are to be refused recog nitio n by California. Such refusal w ill doubtless affect also the certificates is sued in Arkansas and other states where licenses have so liberally been granted to graduates of medical schools long known to be of inferior grade. Cali fornia, like Arkansas, Missouri and other states, needs the vigorous housecleaning in medical licensure that is being under taken. The action taken w ill be no less effective if it deals justly w ith graduates of reputable medical schools and, at the same time, mercilessly exposes those who, by irregularly securing diplomas or licenses, have obtained state authority to prey on the sick.— Journal of the A m eri can Medical Association, Ju ly 19, 1924. G E O R G IA
A t the third annual clinic of the F irst District Dental Society, Savannah, Ga., papers were read at the m orning session and clinics were held in the afternoon. After adjourn ment, the members and visitors drove to the Shriner’s Country Club, where the annual banquet was served. The follow ing day was given to a fishing trip. S o u th e rn
D en tal C lin ic :
IL L IN O IS Free C lin ic s a S u c c e ss :
The free den tal clinics for children established nine months ago by the county board at the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, are re ported to be highly successful. The Chicago Dental Society cooperated in the
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project. Nearly 10,000 children in the county have received treatm ent at the clinic, the num ber now exceeding 1,000 a month. The success of the clinic emphasizes the need of extended facilities to care for the teeth of the poor chil dren of the county. S u r v e y of T o o th C o n d itio n s at A nn a, Illin o is: The superintendent of public
schools at Anna recently secured the co operation of the local dental profession in m aking a survey of teeth conditions in all school children. The superintend ent supplied each child with a record blank and the dentists examined the teeth free. It is reported that practically 100 per cent of the children have been ex am ined and that the dentists have so much work to do that they keep evening hours. Few things could work to greater advantage to everyone concerned.— Il linois H ealth News. C lu b fo r C h ic a g o P h y s ic ia n s and D en tis ts : According to present plans, Chi
cago physicians and dentists are to have “the most m agnificent club of its kind in the W orld,” a fifteen story Grecian temple on Lake Shore Drive, a short distance from the new Northwestern campus and its contemplated medicaldental group. The total investm ent will be about $2,000,000. It w ill be the home of the Chicago Medical and the Chicago Dental Societies. Membership w ill be lim ited to 3,000. Ten of the fifteen stories w ill be erected next spring, and the club w ill offer to its members a large auditorium , banquet hall, grill room, ball room, library and sleeping quarters. M IN N E S O T A Teeth o f S ch o o l C h ild re n :
In an ex am ination of more than 4,000 school chil dren in Rochester and Olmsted counties, Minnesota (Donald C. Mebane, in Am eri can Journ al of Public Health, August, 1924), observations as to the tim e of eruption of the perm anent teeth were made on 3,000 children between the ages of 5 and 13. There was marked irregu larity in the tim e of eruption. In one case all four 6-year molars had erupted at the age of 5, and in another they were not in place u n til the age of 7 years and 9 months. A ll twenty-eight permanent teeth were erupted sometimes as early as 9 years and 9 months, and sometimes as late as 13 years or over. In fifty cases of marked rachitic chest deformity, the lim its in the tim e and the average time of the eruption of the perm anent teeth did not differ from the general findings. There was marked variation in the order
of appearance of the different permanent teeth. Severe malocclusion was found in 345 children. H alf of those examined had moderate occlusion. The absence of certain teeth was rarely a factor in m al occlusion. There was an absence of cer tain perm anent teeth in only twelve of the 4,000 examined. In eight of these chil dren, the m issing teeth were upper lateral incisors. In only one child were supernum erary teeth present, these being two upper lateral incisors. Various forms of aplasia were seen in the permanent teeth. The so-called collar and sleeve deformity, of which the mulberry m olar is a 6-year m olar m anifestation, was present in twenty children. In none of these cases was there a history of stigmas of syphilis. Defective enamelization in the form of severe m ultiple pitting was present in only ten of the children. Four of the thirty children w ith dental aplasia had low intelligence quotients. The socalled fifth cusp was frequently seen on the upper deciduous molars, on the upper 6-year molars, or on both. It occurred in h a lf of the children. Extreme varia tion in the size of this cusp was noted. A study of the permanent upper central incisors has also been made on account of the im portance of these teeth in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. It was found that in 12 per cent of children, digitations were present, regular and of full height. In 48 per cent, the digita tions were slight or absent, and the biting edge of the tooth straight and even. In 40 per cent, the digitations were irregu lar, or the b itin g edge was irregular and uneven. In this last group, the teeth often resemble H utchinson’s teeth, and are therefore occasionally responsible for the incorrect diagnosis of congenital syphilis. A definite diagnosis of con genital syphilis cannot be made from the teeth unless there is a central concavity on the biting edge. Converging sides in stead of the norm al diverging sides and anteroposterior thickening are important, but the former occurred in 12 per cent of norm al children. Dental caries was by far the most common and serious of the defects, being found in 1,077 city children and 1,782 country children. Of the chil dren w ith sound teeth, only 22 per cent were more than 7 per cent underweight, while of those w ith decayed teeth, 30 per cent were underweight. As the 6year molars are the keystones of norm al occlusion, decay of these teeth was espe cially noted. Seventeen hundred children had cavities or fillings in these teeth. It was observed of the younger children,
Medical and Dental News w ith only one or two 6-year molars decayed, that the other 6-year molars, as yet undeveloped, were usually poorly developed. Broken-off perm anent incisors were observed in eleven children. A ll but two of these had decayed 6-year molars, which would seem to indicate that poor development, as well as traum a, was a factor. N EBRASKA B a n s A lie n P h y sic ia n s:
At a m eeting of the state board of medical examiners in Omaha, June 8, a resolu tion was adopted that no physician who has not taken out his first citizenship papers or who is unable to pass an ex am ination in English w ill be permitted to practice in Nebraska. A sim ilar resolu tion, aim ed at alien pharmacists, was re cently adopted by the state pharmacy board.— Journal of the American Medical Association, Ju ly 5, 1924. N e b ra sk a
NEW YORK Open Free C lin ic :
At a convention, held in Brooklyn in July, the Kings County Dental Society and eight other local dental societies planned to hold a three weeks’ oral hygiene and health exhibit. The delegates represented more than 3,000 local dentists. It is pur posed to show people why and how teeth should be taken care of, by means of huge models, graphic charts and lectures in language understandable to any man, woman or child. Motion pictures, free dental clinics and prizes for perfect teeth are to be part of this program. In ad dition to the exhibit, the delegates voted to establish a perm anent free clinic at its headquarters in the old Astor Library Building, 425 Lafayette Avenue, M anhat tan. Free treatm ent of the poor w ill begin in the fall. D e n tists
Ille g a l
to
P u b lic
W e lfa re
O rg a n iz a tio n s:
The New York H ealth Department, repre senting the state board of charities, and representatives of the commissioner of public welfare, are actively cooperating in putting a stop to activities of a large num ber of institutions organized to con duct day nurseries, homes for children, etc., which are not authorized by the city or the state to perform such work. There have been hearings concerning about fifty organizations, and the vast m ajority of these have been closed or ordered to dis continue activities u n til the necessary ap proval is given by the department of public welfare and the state board of charities, or the necessary permits se cured from the departm ent of health.— Journal of the American Medical Associa tion, Ju ly 19, 1924.
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D en tal C o lle ge to D isso lv e : The Col lege of Dental and Oral Surgery, founded in 1852, has applied to the supreme court for an order to dissolve the corporation. The property has been transferred to Col um bia University and is being used by the medical department.— Journal of the A m erican Medical Association, Aug. 9, 1924. F O R E IG N M e d ica l D egree f o r D e n tis ts in F ran ce :
In a special com munication received from the general secretary of the Association Française des Chirurgiene Dentistes, we are inform ed that a general meeting of the society, held in M arch 30, 1924, at the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, the members have expressed their conviction of the need of a new statute introducing the M.D. degree as an obligatory require m ent for those intending to practice den tistry in France, and rejected the idea of the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery as being a sufficient qualification. H av in g heard the addresses and reports of the work pursued, the results obtained, and the plans conceived, the Association Française des Chirurgiene Dentistes hold to their declaration of principles and ex press confidence that their Adm inistra tive Council w ill continue energetically their efforts for the accomplishment of this end.— Review of Clinical Stomatology, July, 1924. O rg a n iz a tio n F ren ch A r m y :
of
Dental
Se rv ic e
in
Dr. Georges V illain, vicepresident of the French National Dental Federation and director of the Dental School of Paris, explains, in the M ilitary Dental Journal, the organization of the dental service in the French army, the composition of its personnel and its distri bution in times of war. The m ilitary dental corps was established in February, 1916, w ith only the grade of sub-officer authorized. Shortly after the Armistice, the rank of commissioned dental officer was created. Only in case of m obiliza tion is the organization to be comple mented by m ilitary dentists of the re serve and of the territorial army. Dr. V illa in summarizes the disadvantages in this scheme of organization as follows: 1. It is not effective in times of peace but only in times of war. 2. There does not exist a permanent organization of m ilitary dental surgeons as part of the active arm y proper, inasm uch as m ilitary dentists are not required to serve except in the active arm y re serve or in the territorial forces and then only during the period of m obili zation. 3. There are only two grades
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accessible to m ilitary dental officers. 4. The authorized m axim um num ber of but 100 second class and twenty-five first class officers is quite insufficient to meet the demands of the service. 5. In all m ilitary formations the m ilitary dental officer is always subordinate to a m ilitary medical officer. 6. The dental service of the army is autonomous. Teeth and H e a lth : A t the recent meeting at W em bley of the Ivory Cross League, a number of facts were m en tioned to emphasize the close relation be tween the teeth and good general health. The Marquis of Salisbury said it was more than our modern diet that was re sponsible for the defects in our teeth, for civilization had produced over count less thousands of years a hum an jaw which was getting smaller. U nfortu nately, Nature did not provide th at the teeth should get smaller w ith the jaw, and they were now too crowded. Mr. W . F. Mellersh, Consulting Dentist to the Ivory Cross, declared that a toothbrush was not of the first importance, but if everyone would make regular use of floss silk, the national bill for dental at tendances would be reduced to half. Moreover, if the teeth of everyone in these islands could be rated A l, the hos pitals would be only half as crowded with ailments of all kinds, including cancer and tuberculosis. Dr. Noel Bardswell, of the London County Council Public Health Department, said that he had about 15,000 people on his books, and he was convinced that if greater care was taken of the teeth, the inroads of tuberculosis would be considerably less.— Dental Surgeon, August 2, 1924. P ra ctic e of D e n tistry in B e lg iu m : The continual conflicts between dentists and graduate physicians w ith reference to the practice of dentistry have given rise to numerous discussions, and for several years the various professional societies have brought forward arguments for the introduction of some system of uniform regulation. At present, the profession of a dentist (a nongraduate physician) is subject to the decree of 1918, which recognized the post of dentist. The coun cil for the betterm ent of higher instruc tion has brought the question up again and is now dem anding additional guaran tees before the title of dentist w ill be conferred. In keeping w ith this move ment, the m inister of arts and sciences has presented a bill which provides for the creation of a degree to be termed “licencie en sciences dentaires,” or licen tiate in dental science. A committee of
the Royal Academy of Medicine has been appointed by the m inister to inquire into and report on the resolutions passed by the aforementioned council. The com m ittee has prepared a report, which w ill be discussed at a plenary assembly of the academy. The principal conclusions reached by the committee may be thus summed up: 1. A degree of doctor of dental science should be established. 2. The proposed law creating the degree of licentiate in dental science is hereby endorsed. 3. The committee approves the plan of examinations leading to that degree; nam ely: (a) The same training in the sciences and in the ordinary princi ples of medicine that is required of future doctors of medicine, surgery and obstet rics. (b) At least two years of special training, including the same courses in general pathology, pathologic anatomy, pharmacodynamics and pharmacology that is required of future physicians. The committee recommended that a resolu tion be adopted to the effect that it was desirable, at sometime in the future, that the practice of the art of dentistry be restricted to doctors of medicine, and that it would be unwise to create for doctors of medicine the degree of licentiate in dental science.— Belgium Letter, Journal of the Am erican Medical Association, Aug. 2, 1924. Sheffield
U n iv e r s it y ’s
New
F a c ilitie s:
The Dental School at the Sheffield U n i versity has been reorganized and fitted up w ith the m ost modern equipm ent in order to provide the necessary facilities for the teaching of dental mechanics and dental surgery. The whole of the work has been carried out under the supervi sion of Mr. G. H. Froggatt, lecturer in dental mechanics and surgery. A t the Sheffield Royal Hospital, which is the University teaching centre, 134 patients were treated in 1913. In 1923, that number grew to 12,000 patients, and this year 6,000 have already received treat ment.— Dental Record, August, 1924. Influence of F is h D ie t on T e e th : In his annual report, Dr. F. E. Gillieron, school dental officer for Cumberland, w rites: “In examining Parton School children, I was particularly struck with the high percentage of those whose mouths were healthy and functioning, or who required very little treatm ent in order to make them so. On pursuing in quiries, I find that a large number of Parton men go fishing, either in small boats, or from the shore on which the small town is built. A lot of fish is caught and eaten by the people generally. It
Medical and Dental News seems to me reasonable to argue th at this may have a very direct benefit on the teeth via the expectant mother. Fish is rich in lim e and phosphorus, and all scientific stockbreeders are becoming very fu lly alive to the importance of providing rations to breeding-stock -with more than a mere sufficiency of lim e, and one certainly notices excellent teeth in districts w ith a chalk or limestone sub soil. More especially is this the case in chalky districts, as chalk is more highly soluble in rain-water than the limestone.”— Dental Surgeon, August 2, 1924. E d in b u r g h D en tal H o sp ita l and S ch o o l:
Reporting on the work of the year at the school, the Dean, Dr. W illia m Guy, said the outstanding iaet was the notable di m inution in the number of students. This was due to two principal causes. The first was the completion of their courses of instruction by ex-service students, whose fees were paid under the scheme for the higher education of ex-service officers and men. The second was the coming into force of the new recom mendations of the General Medical Coun cil regarding the registration of dental students. The funds provided by the State for the higher education of exservice students were exhausted and nearly all of the beneficiaries had now finished their course. The more stringent conditions governing the registration of dental students had tem porarily arrested the flow of entrants to the study of den tistry, but when it was realized that the only avenue to practice was via the portals of a dental school and a licensing body, there would, he anticipated, be a large increase in the number of students. In this faith, plans had been prepared, and would be proceeded w ith im m edi ately, for an extension of the hospital and school to accommodate two hundred students.— Dental Record, August, 1924. F ran ce and U n re giste re d P ra ctitio n e rs:
The climax of the campaign which has been carried on for some time past at Marseilles against the practice of den tistry by unqualified persons was reached recently when no fewer than twentynine local practitioners were found guilty by the police magistrates of practising w ithout diplomas, or w ith aid ing and abetting unqualified practitioners. Fines varying from 50 to 500 francs were inflicted. The local society of den tists and dental surgeons was awarded damages varying from 200 to 300 francs in each case. The defendants were also condemned jointly and severally to pay
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the costs of the proceedings, while the stocks of anesthetics found in their pos session were confiscated.— Dental Record, August, 1924. T e e th and In su ra n ce : Three years ago, certain Approved Societies, lucky enough to possess a surplus, found themselves in a position enabling them to grant den tal benefit under the N ational Insurance Act. The period covered has been long enough to constitute a reasonable test of the scheme, and the reports of the society make interesting reading. Applications from members who were desirous of ob taining additional benefit for dental treat m ent have been more common than any others. The money earmarked for this purpose has proved inadequate to the de m ands made on it, and additional sums have had to be diverted to it from funds w hich were n o t so m uch called upon. One society is credited w ith having spent no less than fifty thousand pounds on dental treatment. Statistics show that in general the money has been wisely expended. According to the return of another society over a period during which dental treatm ent was in practice, it was found th at the incidence of sick ness claim s in ailm ents th at usually have their origin in dental faults fell by 46 per cent.— Public H ealth (London), August, 1924. Le ed s
U n iv e rs ity
D egree of
M .Ch.D.:
A t a m eeting of the Court of the U niver sity of Leeds, a new ordinance was adopted for the degree of M.Ch.D., the im portant feature of which was that no candidate should be adm itted to the degree of Master of Dental Surgery unless he had received the degree of Bachelor of Den tal Surgery at least one year previously, and had also obtained a registrable qualification in medicine and surgery.— Dental Record, August, 1924. GENERAL D e n tistry : The key to the future of dentistry m ay be found in the records of the past and the out look is very promising. True, there are m any problems confronting us, but these w ill be faced fearlessly and their solu tions sought after diligently. The out standing need in dentistry is for men of broad education. Some think that our educational programme should be directed by the University; others, that it is best to arrange our own courses and acquire help as needed, from the U n i versity, w ith actual affiliation. To some the solution of our education problems seems to rest in an alliance w ith m edi The
O u tlook fo r
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
cine. It is a fact, however, th at dentistry has already had such an experience and found separation advisable. The first dental colleges were organized because the m edical schools would not recognize the needs of dentistry. W hether we make an alliance w ith the University, or medicine, or rem ain as we now are, we m ust ever have uppermost in our minds that necessity of developing the type of dentist to meet the newer demands. O ur teachers m ust work w ith the firm determ ination that, in things educational, there is no substitute for honesty. The curriculum m ust include only those sub jects that have a true bearing on den tistry, and every subject listed must be taught and taught well.— Thomas Cowl ing, in O ral H ealth, July , 1924. G o v e rn m e n t T e lls H o w to A v o id Bad In v e stm e n ts: 1. M ining Stock. The best
looking m ine in the world may prove a “white elephant.” M ining is a very expensive undertaking and the risks are usually great. There is a saying that a m ine “is a hole where fools dump their money.” There are m any good m in in g investments, of course, but this branch of the investment m arket is generally not for those who work for and depend upon a salary. 2. O il Stock. D rilling for oil is costly. The hazards are great. O il investments are speculative and in a class w ith m in ing investments. 3. In the wake of every im portant discovery or invention there comes a host of schemes— “airplanes,” “radio,” “wireless.” The promoters of these may have only the best of intentions, but fre quently their enthusiasm is about all they have to sell. Look before you leap. 4. Investments in “real estate” situ ated in some distant place are sometimes as dangerous as m in in g stock. People have been known to buy swamps adver tised as “sea-shore frontage.” Know w hat you are buying before you invest. 5. “L and development” schemes fre quently do not pan out. A t best it is a long tim e before any money comes in from sales. Investm ent in “new com panies” that are going to “sell by m a il” should be generally avoided. 6. Patent rights and processes distri bution. It is rarely the patentee who makes the money. 7. “New M anufacturing Methods” should always be closely checked and in vestigated. 8. A n investment requiring a quick decision is often a fake. If there isn’t
sufficient tim e to “sleep over it,” some thing is probably wrong. 9. “Special inducem ents” in cash dis counts or stock bonuses urging you to be one of the first to invest are suspicious symptoms. 10. “Tips” alleged to land you “on the ground floor” are rarely to be taken. Those who are “on the ground floor” w ill monopolize the opportunity. 11. “P laying the stock m arket on m argin” and all other forms of specula tion are decidedly not for the sm all in vestor. Beware of the “bucket shop.” If you buy stocks outright for invest m ent do so through a member of a legitim ate exchange. 12. Stock in “m ail order companies” being organized w ith promises based on what others have done rarely turn out well.”— Associated Advertising, July, 1924. D en tal a n d F a c ia l D e fo rm itie s and C h e st D e v e lo p m e n t: D ’alise found a
lower v ital capacity of the lungs in chil dren w ith deficient articulation of teeth. He believes th at breast nursing is a factor in the norm al development of the face and oral cavity. The present tend encies in physical education overlook the head, though it ought to be regarded as the most im portant part of the body. Be sides this, the production of athletes en tails an unbalanced, one-sided develop ment which is in itself pathologic.— Riforma Medica (abstr. J.A.M .A.), July 5, 1924. Cancer M ortality: Cancer was the fifth cause of death in num erical impor tance, according to a monograph just completed by the Metropolitan Life In surance Com pany relating to the mor tality from cancer am ong its m illions of industrial policy holders; it being out ranked only by heart disease, tuber culosis, chronic interstitial nephritis (B right’s disease) and pneumonia. Can cer of the buccal cavity was responsible for 8.9 per cent of all cancers among white males and 6.9 among colored males. Only 1 per cent of deaths from cancers am ong females was due to buccal cavity growths. The death rates run higher am ong w hite than am ong colored men, but w ith women the situation is reversed. The trend of the death rate was down ward between 1911 and 1922 except for colored males. Most of the deaths re sult from growths of the tongue and jaw. Influx of Foreign Physicians: Some weeks ago, it was pointed out that there has been an influx of foreign physicians into the U nited States and that this was
Medical and Dental News undesirable in m any cases. The follow ing states have taken action to require application for naturalization papers, ac tual citizenship, or an examination w rit ten in English, before a foreign physician can be licensed: Arizona, Florida, Il linois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahom a, Pennsylvania and Texas.— Time, Ju ly 21, 1924. Dr. B ro p h y Officer of L e gio n of H o n o r:
Dr. Trum an W . Brophy of Chicago was made an officer of the Legion of Honor, August 1. The decoration was conferred in Quai d’Orsay by M. Renault, acting for the m inister of war. Dr. Brophy’s decoration is unusual, as officers of the Legion of Honor generally are named from the ranks of chevaliers, but he has never been a chevalier. Both honors were given at the same time. As presi dent of the International Dental Federa tion, Dr. Brophy w ill be president of the Société Federation’s convention in Luxemburg. P a m p h le ts on M o uth H y g ie n e D is trib uted: The dental departm ent of the
M etropolitan L ife Insurance Company has distributed nearly five m illion copes of a popular “flyer” for lay people entitled “Peep into the Future, or “Care of the Teeth.” About four m illion and a half were printed in English, while half a m illion were in French, Italian, Polish, Y iddish and Spanish. P e rio d ic M e d ica l E x a m in a tio n s: H ealth examination, health guidance, longevity service or personal preventive medicine is receiving more and more attention by the medical profession through the state and county medical societies (Journal of the Am erican Medical Association, Aug. 2, 1924). A study of the findings of one society, ninety-one members of which were examined, discloses almost every deviation from norm al to be expected in a group presumably healthy, although comparison w ith other series of examina tions by the U nited States Public H ealth Service, and by insurance companies, in di cates that the physicians rate better in “health” than other corresponding age groups. W hether this is due to the in frequency of bad mouth conditions and constipation in the list of “defects” found is a natural question. Contrary to the usual experience, hypotension was fre quent. Physicians, knowing blood pres sure apparatus and technic, are not nervous. T hat physicians, despite ir regular hours of work, deviation from routine as to meals and sleep, and less
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systematic exercise and recreation than is usually considered advisable, rate so high in health would seem to indicate that subconsciously, at least, physicians prac tice w hat they preach. T h e Pred en tal Y e a r : It would appear that before any further additions are made to the preliminary requirements, or to the professional course of instruc tion, in fairness to all, some idea should first be obtained of the results of train ing dental students by the methods in operation. If the product of the dental schools which have been operating under the four-year course, w ith the preliminary requirement of high school education and w ithout a preparatory college year, does not come up to the desired standards of efficiency, then a close survey of the situ ation should be carried out, and such changes and additions introduced into the preparatory education and possibly into the professional curriculum as will pro vide a more skilled type of dental graduate. The demand on the part of educators for college preparatory years should be based strictly upon the needs of dental education.— L. E. Ford, in Pacific Dental Gazette, July, 1924. Death of Dr. S ip p y : Dr. Bertram W . Sippy of Chicago, stomach specialist and noted among physicians for the Sippy treatm ent of stomach ulcers, dropped dead at his summer residence near Ludington, Mich., August 15. Dr. Sippy, who was 57 years old, had been suffering from diabetes for several months. A r m y Dental Sch oo l G rad u a tio n : The graduation exercises of the Arm y Den tal School were held Friday, June 6, in the Form al Garden at the Arm y M edi cal Center, W ashington, D. C. Eleven graduates received their diplomas, pre sented by Secretary of W a r Weeks. N a v a l Dental Schoo l G rad u a tio n : Gradu ation exercises which marked the com pletion of the third course of the Naval Dental School were held, May 29, in the auditorium of the Naval Medical School. Certificates were awarded to all of the dental officers who had successfully com pleted the courses. Those officers of the Dental Corps receiving certificates were: Lieutenants R alph B. Putnam , Frederick M. Ingersoll, Jesse W . M iller, Francis R. H ittinger and H ugh E. M auldin. A cce p ta n ce of R e a p p o in tm e n t in the Dental Officers’ R ese rve C o rp s: Reports
from the office of the Surgeon General of the Army, indicate that a considerable number of Dental Reserve Officers have failed to accept reappointm ent of Com
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mission. Members of the D ental Officers’ Reserve Corps are advised that all ap pointm ents in the Reserve Corps are for a period of five years as provided by law. Notice of reappointm ent and oath of office is sent to Reserve Officers whose commissions are about to expire, suffi ciently in advance of the expiration date to perm it acceptance and make the ap pointm ents continuous. Failure to ac cept before expiration date autom atically separates the officer from the Reserve Corps, and reinstatem ent can be accom plished only through the form ality of ap plication as for original appointm ent. It is probable that failure to accept is due to m isinterpretation of the promotion regulations published in this Journ al in December, 1923, which provide for promo tion after each five-year period. Reserve officers are advised that these promotions are not made automatically. If Reserve Officers desire promotion upon reappoint ment, they must apply for promotion through the Corps Commander of the area in which they reside, sufficiently in advance of expiration of appointm ent (about sixty days) so that reappointm ent m ay be possible in a higher grade. Of ficers who are offered reappointm ent, but who desire higher grade, should accept reappointm ent in the grade offered and at once apply for promotion. Cooperation on the part of the Reserve Officers in promptly accepting reappointm ent w ill aid in prom oting the progress of the Re serve organization.— M ilitary Dental Jo u r nal, June, 1924. N itr o u s O x id -O x y ge n A n a lg e s ia : A nal gesia is indicated: (1) W here intense or prolonged pain is expected. (2) W here a num ber of cavities present, the prep aration of which will be a distinct shock to the nervous system of the pa tient. (3) W here it is desired to com plete the work as speedily as possible, as for instance in the extremely apprehen sive patient to whom one visit to the dentist is a purgatory in anticipation and each succeeding visit worse, thus pro ducing a distinct dental shock. Contra indications for the use of analgesia in dentistry m ay be taken as the opposite of the above. In so far as the physical condition of the patient is concerned, the contraindications are few. The great advantages of analgesia for cavity prep aration are obviating dental shock and elim inating the fear of the dental engine; and the experience is generally so pleas ant that, instead of the patient looking forward w ith dread to approaching visits to the dentist, the anticipation is one of
equanimity. There are some disadvan tages, am ong which may be mentioned: (1) It is always necessary to have an assistant or dental nurse in attendance. (2) The patient can give less cooperation than without it, but this is largely com pensated by the absence of recoil from pain in the patient, w ith a consequent interruption of work. (3) It is also more difficult to operate with the nose-piece in place, especially if operating on labiogingival cavities in the m axillary anterior teeth. There are some necessities for success: (1) A proper m achine and a nose-piece which does not intrude too greatly on the field of operation. (2) F am iliarity w ith the m inute regulations of the mechanical appliance. (3) F am il iarity with the fundam ental principles of producing analgesia. (4) Knowledge as to how to introduce analgesia to new patients, and ability to obtain their com plete confidence. (5) A knowledge of suggestive therapeutics. (6) And a most intim ate knowledge of the m inute dental anatomy. — Anesthesia and Analgesia, August, 1924. C la ssific a tio n of U. S. M a rin e H o s p itals: The Surgeon General, U. S. Pub
lic H ealth Service, has requested the American College of Surgeons to inspect the Marine Hospitals under his control, twenty-five in number, to the end that these institutions may, if found qualified, be placed on the approved list of hospitals published by th a t organization. P ro c ain in R e gio n al A n e sth e sia : Dr. M. E. Blahd (Journal of the American M edical Association, Aug. 9, 1924) says: I cannot refrain from pointing out the danger of in jecting procain solution w ithin the lum en of a blood vessel. Procain, when properly used, is practi cally nontoxic; but when injected into the circulation, it becomes extremely toxic and may cause sudden and quick death. If just two points are remembered, the accident of injecting procain into the vascular stream w ill never happen: 1. W henever possible, one should keep the needle in continuous m otion while injecting. 2. If it is necessary to inject with the needle in a stationary position, as in the case of an anterior splanchnic anesthesia, one should aspirate for blood before each syringeful is injected. These two points cannot be emphasized too strongly, as it is m y opinion that all procain deaths are due to the presence of procain in the blood stream. I have always observed these two points with the utm ost care, and up to the present
Medical and Dental ¡Slews time have not seen a single case of procain poisoning, in spite of the fact that I have used as m uch as 250 c.c. of 0.5 per cent procain solution at a single operation. T h e F la g : A national flag conference was held in W ashington sometime ago. It was called by the Am erican Legion. It adopted a code which it is hoped will come generally into civilian practice. In display of the flag, as hy this code, the following are fifteen things to avoid: 1. Do not dip the flag of the United States to any person or any thing. The regimental color, State flag, organization or institutional flag, w ill render this honor. A t sea the flag may be dipped in acknowledgment of the salute of the flag of another nation. 2. Do not display the flag of the United States w ith the U nion down ex cept as a signal of distress. 3. Do not place any other flag or pen n ant above or to the right of the flag of the U nited States. 4. Do not let the flag of the United States touch the ground or trail in the water. 5. Do not place any object or emblem of any kind on or above the flag of the United States. 6. Do not use the flag as drapery; use bunting. 7. Do not fasten the flag in such m an ner as w ill perm it it to be easily torn. 8. Do not drape the flag over the hood, top or sides of a vehicle or of a railroad train or boats. If it is desired to dis play the flag on a motor car affix the staff firmly to the chassis or clamp it to the radiator cap, 9. Do not use the flag to cover a speak er’s desk or to drape over front of a platform or over chairs or benches. 10. Do not display the flag on a float in a parade except on a staff. 11. Do not use the flag as a ceiling covering. 12. Do not use the flag of the United States as a portion of a costume or of an athletic uniform. Do not embroider it upon cushions or handkerchiefs or print it on paper napkins or boxes. 13. Do not put lettering upon the flag.
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14. Do not use the flag of the United States in any form of advertising nor fasten an advertising sign to a flag pole. 15. Do not display, use or store the flag in such a m anner as w ill permit it to be easily soiled or damaged. A suggestion that the proper salute to the flag by a woman be the m ilitary salute employed by soldiers in uniform was amended to read that her right hand should be placed over her heart in pay ing respect to the emblem. P u b lic ity and E d u ca tio n : The suc cess of any public health procedure depends largely on sound organization— with sufficient powers and personnel. A properly organized division of Child Hygiene in a State Departm ent of Health can stim ulate the local com munity and w ill tap the resources in the national field. The facilities for suitable publicity and education are of vital importance. The objective of our publicity should be to build up an inform ed public opinion which w ill support a well rounded pro gram of child hygiene. This program m ust contain ample provision for the education of the individual. Our educa tional m atter m ust be of proper char acter and our personnel m ust under stand the principles of teaching. Too often we mistake public health inform a tion for education.— American Journal of Public Health. ... ARMY
Captain Jerome L. Pritsche w ill report to retiring, board, Fitzsimons General Hospital, for exami nation.— Arm y and Navy Register, Ju ly 19, 1924. Colonel John H. Hess having been found by an Arm y retiring board in capacitated for active service on account of disability incident thereto, his retire m ent from active service is announced; proceed home.— Arm y and Navy Register, August 2, 1924. Captain John N. W hite from duty at medical field service school, Carlisle Barracks, Pa., to Fort W illiam s, Me., for duty.— Arm y and Navy Register, August 16, 1924. D en tal
C o rp s:
ALABAM A B o y s ’ In d u stria l
S ch o o l:
At
the industrial school, at East Lake, a review of three and a half years shows the follow ing conditions regarding the condition of the teeth of newly admitted boys: 3 per cent of these boys do not need dental care and have clean teeth; 8 per cent do not need dental care, but the teeth need cleaning; 13 per cent need extraction and cleaning of teeth; 24 per cent need extractions, fillings and clean ing of the teeth; 52 per cent are in need of fillings and cleaning of the teeth. An idea of the am ount of work done in the clinic connected w ith the school m ay he gained from the follow ing figures: N um ber of boys examined, 1913; number given care, 1,010; extractions including a large num ber of deciduous teeth, 869; num ber of cavities filled, 2,007; special dentures, inlays, bridges, etc., 10; roentgen-ray examinations, 42; treatm ent for pyorrhea, 19 patients; orthodontia, 1. C A L IF O R N IA M e d ica l L ic e n se In v e stig a tio n in C a li fo rn ia : California, like Connecticut, is
now endeavoring to free herself from diploma purchasers and other incompe tents who, in some way or other, have obtained licenses to practice medicine in that state. I f the investigation follows a well considered plan, such as is evidently being followed in Connecticut, much good should result. According to present re ports, however, graduates of all medical schools in Missouri are to be debarred from licensure in California— a ruling that is unjust to the three reputable, high grade medical schools in St. Louis and Colum bia. The investigation is including not only the graduates of the inferior m edi cal schools of Missouri and those holding credits from the supposedly defunct Pacific Medical of Los Angeles— reported to have been involved w ith the Missouri diploma-mill ring in issuing credits— but also the graduates of low grade medical
913
schools in Boston, Baltimore, Chicago and elsewhere. W hile the cooperation of the Missouri state hoard of health has ap parently been promised, the reports criti cize the Missouri board for recognizing credentials of the low grade medical schools in Missouri, a blame that is not deserved, since graduates of these schools were refused recognition by that board u ntil 1921, when a change in the medical practice law forced such recognition. The reports state also that licenses is sued in Missouri are to be refused recog nitio n by California. Such refusal w ill doubtless affect also the certificates is sued in Arkansas and other states where licenses have so liberally been granted to graduates of medical schools long known to be of inferior grade. Cali fornia, like Arkansas, Missouri and other states, needs the vigorous housecleaning in medical licensure that is being under taken. The action taken w ill be no less effective if it deals justly w ith graduates of reputable medical schools and, at the same time, mercilessly exposes those who, by irregularly securing diplomas or licenses, have obtained state authority to prey on the sick.— Journal of the A m eri can Medical Association, Ju ly 19, 1924. G E O R G IA
A t the third annual clinic of the F irst District Dental Society, Savannah, Ga., papers were read at the m orning session and clinics were held in the afternoon. After adjourn ment, the members and visitors drove to the Shriner’s Country Club, where the annual banquet was served. The follow ing day was given to a fishing trip. S o u th e rn
D en tal C lin ic :
IL L IN O IS Free C lin ic s a S u c c e ss :
The free den tal clinics for children established nine months ago by the county board at the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, are re ported to be highly successful. The Chicago Dental Society cooperated in the
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project. Nearly 10,000 children in the county have received treatm ent at the clinic, the num ber now exceeding 1,000 a month. The success of the clinic emphasizes the need of extended facilities to care for the teeth of the poor chil dren of the county. S u r v e y of T o o th C o n d itio n s at A nn a, Illin o is: The superintendent of public
schools at Anna recently secured the co operation of the local dental profession in m aking a survey of teeth conditions in all school children. The superintend ent supplied each child with a record blank and the dentists examined the teeth free. It is reported that practically 100 per cent of the children have been ex am ined and that the dentists have so much work to do that they keep evening hours. Few things could work to greater advantage to everyone concerned.— Il linois H ealth News. C lu b fo r C h ic a g o P h y s ic ia n s and D en tis ts : According to present plans, Chi
cago physicians and dentists are to have “the most m agnificent club of its kind in the W orld,” a fifteen story Grecian temple on Lake Shore Drive, a short distance from the new Northwestern campus and its contemplated medicaldental group. The total investm ent will be about $2,000,000. It w ill be the home of the Chicago Medical and the Chicago Dental Societies. Membership w ill be lim ited to 3,000. Ten of the fifteen stories w ill be erected next spring, and the club w ill offer to its members a large auditorium , banquet hall, grill room, ball room, library and sleeping quarters. M IN N E S O T A Teeth o f S ch o o l C h ild re n :
In an ex am ination of more than 4,000 school chil dren in Rochester and Olmsted counties, Minnesota (Donald C. Mebane, in Am eri can Journ al of Public Health, August, 1924), observations as to the tim e of eruption of the perm anent teeth were made on 3,000 children between the ages of 5 and 13. There was marked irregu larity in the tim e of eruption. In one case all four 6-year molars had erupted at the age of 5, and in another they were not in place u n til the age of 7 years and 9 months. A ll twenty-eight permanent teeth were erupted sometimes as early as 9 years and 9 months, and sometimes as late as 13 years or over. In fifty cases of marked rachitic chest deformity, the lim its in the tim e and the average time of the eruption of the perm anent teeth did not differ from the general findings. There was marked variation in the order
of appearance of the different permanent teeth. Severe malocclusion was found in 345 children. H alf of those examined had moderate occlusion. The absence of certain teeth was rarely a factor in m al occlusion. There was an absence of cer tain perm anent teeth in only twelve of the 4,000 examined. In eight of these chil dren, the m issing teeth were upper lateral incisors. In only one child were supernum erary teeth present, these being two upper lateral incisors. Various forms of aplasia were seen in the permanent teeth. The so-called collar and sleeve deformity, of which the mulberry m olar is a 6-year m olar m anifestation, was present in twenty children. In none of these cases was there a history of stigmas of syphilis. Defective enamelization in the form of severe m ultiple pitting was present in only ten of the children. Four of the thirty children w ith dental aplasia had low intelligence quotients. The socalled fifth cusp was frequently seen on the upper deciduous molars, on the upper 6-year molars, or on both. It occurred in h a lf of the children. Extreme varia tion in the size of this cusp was noted. A study of the permanent upper central incisors has also been made on account of the im portance of these teeth in the diagnosis of congenital syphilis. It was found that in 12 per cent of children, digitations were present, regular and of full height. In 48 per cent, the digita tions were slight or absent, and the biting edge of the tooth straight and even. In 40 per cent, the digitations were irregu lar, or the b itin g edge was irregular and uneven. In this last group, the teeth often resemble H utchinson’s teeth, and are therefore occasionally responsible for the incorrect diagnosis of congenital syphilis. A definite diagnosis of con genital syphilis cannot be made from the teeth unless there is a central concavity on the biting edge. Converging sides in stead of the norm al diverging sides and anteroposterior thickening are important, but the former occurred in 12 per cent of norm al children. Dental caries was by far the most common and serious of the defects, being found in 1,077 city children and 1,782 country children. Of the chil dren w ith sound teeth, only 22 per cent were more than 7 per cent underweight, while of those w ith decayed teeth, 30 per cent were underweight. As the 6year molars are the keystones of norm al occlusion, decay of these teeth was espe cially noted. Seventeen hundred children had cavities or fillings in these teeth. It was observed of the younger children,
Medical and Dental News w ith only one or two 6-year molars decayed, that the other 6-year molars, as yet undeveloped, were usually poorly developed. Broken-off perm anent incisors were observed in eleven children. A ll but two of these had decayed 6-year molars, which would seem to indicate that poor development, as well as traum a, was a factor. N EBRASKA B a n s A lie n P h y sic ia n s:
At a m eeting of the state board of medical examiners in Omaha, June 8, a resolu tion was adopted that no physician who has not taken out his first citizenship papers or who is unable to pass an ex am ination in English w ill be permitted to practice in Nebraska. A sim ilar resolu tion, aim ed at alien pharmacists, was re cently adopted by the state pharmacy board.— Journal of the American Medical Association, Ju ly 5, 1924. N e b ra sk a
NEW YORK Open Free C lin ic :
At a convention, held in Brooklyn in July, the Kings County Dental Society and eight other local dental societies planned to hold a three weeks’ oral hygiene and health exhibit. The delegates represented more than 3,000 local dentists. It is pur posed to show people why and how teeth should be taken care of, by means of huge models, graphic charts and lectures in language understandable to any man, woman or child. Motion pictures, free dental clinics and prizes for perfect teeth are to be part of this program. In ad dition to the exhibit, the delegates voted to establish a perm anent free clinic at its headquarters in the old Astor Library Building, 425 Lafayette Avenue, M anhat tan. Free treatm ent of the poor w ill begin in the fall. D e n tists
Ille g a l
to
P u b lic
W e lfa re
O rg a n iz a tio n s:
The New York H ealth Department, repre senting the state board of charities, and representatives of the commissioner of public welfare, are actively cooperating in putting a stop to activities of a large num ber of institutions organized to con duct day nurseries, homes for children, etc., which are not authorized by the city or the state to perform such work. There have been hearings concerning about fifty organizations, and the vast m ajority of these have been closed or ordered to dis continue activities u n til the necessary ap proval is given by the department of public welfare and the state board of charities, or the necessary permits se cured from the departm ent of health.— Journal of the American Medical Associa tion, Ju ly 19, 1924.
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D en tal C o lle ge to D isso lv e : The Col lege of Dental and Oral Surgery, founded in 1852, has applied to the supreme court for an order to dissolve the corporation. The property has been transferred to Col um bia University and is being used by the medical department.— Journal of the A m erican Medical Association, Aug. 9, 1924. F O R E IG N M e d ica l D egree f o r D e n tis ts in F ran ce :
In a special com munication received from the general secretary of the Association Française des Chirurgiene Dentistes, we are inform ed that a general meeting of the society, held in M arch 30, 1924, at the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, the members have expressed their conviction of the need of a new statute introducing the M.D. degree as an obligatory require m ent for those intending to practice den tistry in France, and rejected the idea of the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery as being a sufficient qualification. H av in g heard the addresses and reports of the work pursued, the results obtained, and the plans conceived, the Association Française des Chirurgiene Dentistes hold to their declaration of principles and ex press confidence that their Adm inistra tive Council w ill continue energetically their efforts for the accomplishment of this end.— Review of Clinical Stomatology, July, 1924. O rg a n iz a tio n F ren ch A r m y :
of
Dental
Se rv ic e
in
Dr. Georges V illain, vicepresident of the French National Dental Federation and director of the Dental School of Paris, explains, in the M ilitary Dental Journal, the organization of the dental service in the French army, the composition of its personnel and its distri bution in times of war. The m ilitary dental corps was established in February, 1916, w ith only the grade of sub-officer authorized. Shortly after the Armistice, the rank of commissioned dental officer was created. Only in case of m obiliza tion is the organization to be comple mented by m ilitary dentists of the re serve and of the territorial army. Dr. V illa in summarizes the disadvantages in this scheme of organization as follows: 1. It is not effective in times of peace but only in times of war. 2. There does not exist a permanent organization of m ilitary dental surgeons as part of the active arm y proper, inasm uch as m ilitary dentists are not required to serve except in the active arm y re serve or in the territorial forces and then only during the period of m obili zation. 3. There are only two grades
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
accessible to m ilitary dental officers. 4. The authorized m axim um num ber of but 100 second class and twenty-five first class officers is quite insufficient to meet the demands of the service. 5. In all m ilitary formations the m ilitary dental officer is always subordinate to a m ilitary medical officer. 6. The dental service of the army is autonomous. Teeth and H e a lth : A t the recent meeting at W em bley of the Ivory Cross League, a number of facts were m en tioned to emphasize the close relation be tween the teeth and good general health. The Marquis of Salisbury said it was more than our modern diet that was re sponsible for the defects in our teeth, for civilization had produced over count less thousands of years a hum an jaw which was getting smaller. U nfortu nately, Nature did not provide th at the teeth should get smaller w ith the jaw, and they were now too crowded. Mr. W . F. Mellersh, Consulting Dentist to the Ivory Cross, declared that a toothbrush was not of the first importance, but if everyone would make regular use of floss silk, the national bill for dental at tendances would be reduced to half. Moreover, if the teeth of everyone in these islands could be rated A l, the hos pitals would be only half as crowded with ailments of all kinds, including cancer and tuberculosis. Dr. Noel Bardswell, of the London County Council Public Health Department, said that he had about 15,000 people on his books, and he was convinced that if greater care was taken of the teeth, the inroads of tuberculosis would be considerably less.— Dental Surgeon, August 2, 1924. P ra ctic e of D e n tistry in B e lg iu m : The continual conflicts between dentists and graduate physicians w ith reference to the practice of dentistry have given rise to numerous discussions, and for several years the various professional societies have brought forward arguments for the introduction of some system of uniform regulation. At present, the profession of a dentist (a nongraduate physician) is subject to the decree of 1918, which recognized the post of dentist. The coun cil for the betterm ent of higher instruc tion has brought the question up again and is now dem anding additional guaran tees before the title of dentist w ill be conferred. In keeping w ith this move ment, the m inister of arts and sciences has presented a bill which provides for the creation of a degree to be termed “licencie en sciences dentaires,” or licen tiate in dental science. A committee of
the Royal Academy of Medicine has been appointed by the m inister to inquire into and report on the resolutions passed by the aforementioned council. The com m ittee has prepared a report, which w ill be discussed at a plenary assembly of the academy. The principal conclusions reached by the committee may be thus summed up: 1. A degree of doctor of dental science should be established. 2. The proposed law creating the degree of licentiate in dental science is hereby endorsed. 3. The committee approves the plan of examinations leading to that degree; nam ely: (a) The same training in the sciences and in the ordinary princi ples of medicine that is required of future doctors of medicine, surgery and obstet rics. (b) At least two years of special training, including the same courses in general pathology, pathologic anatomy, pharmacodynamics and pharmacology that is required of future physicians. The committee recommended that a resolu tion be adopted to the effect that it was desirable, at sometime in the future, that the practice of the art of dentistry be restricted to doctors of medicine, and that it would be unwise to create for doctors of medicine the degree of licentiate in dental science.— Belgium Letter, Journal of the Am erican Medical Association, Aug. 2, 1924. Sheffield
U n iv e r s it y ’s
New
F a c ilitie s:
The Dental School at the Sheffield U n i versity has been reorganized and fitted up w ith the m ost modern equipm ent in order to provide the necessary facilities for the teaching of dental mechanics and dental surgery. The whole of the work has been carried out under the supervi sion of Mr. G. H. Froggatt, lecturer in dental mechanics and surgery. A t the Sheffield Royal Hospital, which is the University teaching centre, 134 patients were treated in 1913. In 1923, that number grew to 12,000 patients, and this year 6,000 have already received treat ment.— Dental Record, August, 1924. Influence of F is h D ie t on T e e th : In his annual report, Dr. F. E. Gillieron, school dental officer for Cumberland, w rites: “In examining Parton School children, I was particularly struck with the high percentage of those whose mouths were healthy and functioning, or who required very little treatm ent in order to make them so. On pursuing in quiries, I find that a large number of Parton men go fishing, either in small boats, or from the shore on which the small town is built. A lot of fish is caught and eaten by the people generally. It
Medical and Dental News seems to me reasonable to argue th at this may have a very direct benefit on the teeth via the expectant mother. Fish is rich in lim e and phosphorus, and all scientific stockbreeders are becoming very fu lly alive to the importance of providing rations to breeding-stock -with more than a mere sufficiency of lim e, and one certainly notices excellent teeth in districts w ith a chalk or limestone sub soil. More especially is this the case in chalky districts, as chalk is more highly soluble in rain-water than the limestone.”— Dental Surgeon, August 2, 1924. E d in b u r g h D en tal H o sp ita l and S ch o o l:
Reporting on the work of the year at the school, the Dean, Dr. W illia m Guy, said the outstanding iaet was the notable di m inution in the number of students. This was due to two principal causes. The first was the completion of their courses of instruction by ex-service students, whose fees were paid under the scheme for the higher education of ex-service officers and men. The second was the coming into force of the new recom mendations of the General Medical Coun cil regarding the registration of dental students. The funds provided by the State for the higher education of exservice students were exhausted and nearly all of the beneficiaries had now finished their course. The more stringent conditions governing the registration of dental students had tem porarily arrested the flow of entrants to the study of den tistry, but when it was realized that the only avenue to practice was via the portals of a dental school and a licensing body, there would, he anticipated, be a large increase in the number of students. In this faith, plans had been prepared, and would be proceeded w ith im m edi ately, for an extension of the hospital and school to accommodate two hundred students.— Dental Record, August, 1924. F ran ce and U n re giste re d P ra ctitio n e rs:
The climax of the campaign which has been carried on for some time past at Marseilles against the practice of den tistry by unqualified persons was reached recently when no fewer than twentynine local practitioners were found guilty by the police magistrates of practising w ithout diplomas, or w ith aid ing and abetting unqualified practitioners. Fines varying from 50 to 500 francs were inflicted. The local society of den tists and dental surgeons was awarded damages varying from 200 to 300 francs in each case. The defendants were also condemned jointly and severally to pay
917
the costs of the proceedings, while the stocks of anesthetics found in their pos session were confiscated.— Dental Record, August, 1924. T e e th and In su ra n ce : Three years ago, certain Approved Societies, lucky enough to possess a surplus, found themselves in a position enabling them to grant den tal benefit under the N ational Insurance Act. The period covered has been long enough to constitute a reasonable test of the scheme, and the reports of the society make interesting reading. Applications from members who were desirous of ob taining additional benefit for dental treat m ent have been more common than any others. The money earmarked for this purpose has proved inadequate to the de m ands made on it, and additional sums have had to be diverted to it from funds w hich were n o t so m uch called upon. One society is credited w ith having spent no less than fifty thousand pounds on dental treatment. Statistics show that in general the money has been wisely expended. According to the return of another society over a period during which dental treatm ent was in practice, it was found th at the incidence of sick ness claim s in ailm ents th at usually have their origin in dental faults fell by 46 per cent.— Public H ealth (London), August, 1924. Le ed s
U n iv e rs ity
D egree of
M .Ch.D.:
A t a m eeting of the Court of the U niver sity of Leeds, a new ordinance was adopted for the degree of M.Ch.D., the im portant feature of which was that no candidate should be adm itted to the degree of Master of Dental Surgery unless he had received the degree of Bachelor of Den tal Surgery at least one year previously, and had also obtained a registrable qualification in medicine and surgery.— Dental Record, August, 1924. GENERAL D e n tistry : The key to the future of dentistry m ay be found in the records of the past and the out look is very promising. True, there are m any problems confronting us, but these w ill be faced fearlessly and their solu tions sought after diligently. The out standing need in dentistry is for men of broad education. Some think that our educational programme should be directed by the University; others, that it is best to arrange our own courses and acquire help as needed, from the U n i versity, w ith actual affiliation. To some the solution of our education problems seems to rest in an alliance w ith m edi The
O u tlook fo r
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
cine. It is a fact, however, th at dentistry has already had such an experience and found separation advisable. The first dental colleges were organized because the m edical schools would not recognize the needs of dentistry. W hether we make an alliance w ith the University, or medicine, or rem ain as we now are, we m ust ever have uppermost in our minds that necessity of developing the type of dentist to meet the newer demands. O ur teachers m ust work w ith the firm determ ination that, in things educational, there is no substitute for honesty. The curriculum m ust include only those sub jects that have a true bearing on den tistry, and every subject listed must be taught and taught well.— Thomas Cowl ing, in O ral H ealth, July , 1924. G o v e rn m e n t T e lls H o w to A v o id Bad In v e stm e n ts: 1. M ining Stock. The best
looking m ine in the world may prove a “white elephant.” M ining is a very expensive undertaking and the risks are usually great. There is a saying that a m ine “is a hole where fools dump their money.” There are m any good m in in g investments, of course, but this branch of the investment m arket is generally not for those who work for and depend upon a salary. 2. O il Stock. D rilling for oil is costly. The hazards are great. O il investments are speculative and in a class w ith m in ing investments. 3. In the wake of every im portant discovery or invention there comes a host of schemes— “airplanes,” “radio,” “wireless.” The promoters of these may have only the best of intentions, but fre quently their enthusiasm is about all they have to sell. Look before you leap. 4. Investments in “real estate” situ ated in some distant place are sometimes as dangerous as m in in g stock. People have been known to buy swamps adver tised as “sea-shore frontage.” Know w hat you are buying before you invest. 5. “L and development” schemes fre quently do not pan out. A t best it is a long tim e before any money comes in from sales. Investm ent in “new com panies” that are going to “sell by m a il” should be generally avoided. 6. Patent rights and processes distri bution. It is rarely the patentee who makes the money. 7. “New M anufacturing Methods” should always be closely checked and in vestigated. 8. A n investment requiring a quick decision is often a fake. If there isn’t
sufficient tim e to “sleep over it,” some thing is probably wrong. 9. “Special inducem ents” in cash dis counts or stock bonuses urging you to be one of the first to invest are suspicious symptoms. 10. “Tips” alleged to land you “on the ground floor” are rarely to be taken. Those who are “on the ground floor” w ill monopolize the opportunity. 11. “P laying the stock m arket on m argin” and all other forms of specula tion are decidedly not for the sm all in vestor. Beware of the “bucket shop.” If you buy stocks outright for invest m ent do so through a member of a legitim ate exchange. 12. Stock in “m ail order companies” being organized w ith promises based on what others have done rarely turn out well.”— Associated Advertising, July, 1924. D en tal a n d F a c ia l D e fo rm itie s and C h e st D e v e lo p m e n t: D ’alise found a
lower v ital capacity of the lungs in chil dren w ith deficient articulation of teeth. He believes th at breast nursing is a factor in the norm al development of the face and oral cavity. The present tend encies in physical education overlook the head, though it ought to be regarded as the most im portant part of the body. Be sides this, the production of athletes en tails an unbalanced, one-sided develop ment which is in itself pathologic.— Riforma Medica (abstr. J.A.M .A.), July 5, 1924. Cancer M ortality: Cancer was the fifth cause of death in num erical impor tance, according to a monograph just completed by the Metropolitan Life In surance Com pany relating to the mor tality from cancer am ong its m illions of industrial policy holders; it being out ranked only by heart disease, tuber culosis, chronic interstitial nephritis (B right’s disease) and pneumonia. Can cer of the buccal cavity was responsible for 8.9 per cent of all cancers among white males and 6.9 among colored males. Only 1 per cent of deaths from cancers am ong females was due to buccal cavity growths. The death rates run higher am ong w hite than am ong colored men, but w ith women the situation is reversed. The trend of the death rate was down ward between 1911 and 1922 except for colored males. Most of the deaths re sult from growths of the tongue and jaw. Influx of Foreign Physicians: Some weeks ago, it was pointed out that there has been an influx of foreign physicians into the U nited States and that this was
Medical and Dental News undesirable in m any cases. The follow ing states have taken action to require application for naturalization papers, ac tual citizenship, or an examination w rit ten in English, before a foreign physician can be licensed: Arizona, Florida, Il linois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahom a, Pennsylvania and Texas.— Time, Ju ly 21, 1924. Dr. B ro p h y Officer of L e gio n of H o n o r:
Dr. Trum an W . Brophy of Chicago was made an officer of the Legion of Honor, August 1. The decoration was conferred in Quai d’Orsay by M. Renault, acting for the m inister of war. Dr. Brophy’s decoration is unusual, as officers of the Legion of Honor generally are named from the ranks of chevaliers, but he has never been a chevalier. Both honors were given at the same time. As presi dent of the International Dental Federa tion, Dr. Brophy w ill be president of the Société Federation’s convention in Luxemburg. P a m p h le ts on M o uth H y g ie n e D is trib uted: The dental departm ent of the
M etropolitan L ife Insurance Company has distributed nearly five m illion copes of a popular “flyer” for lay people entitled “Peep into the Future, or “Care of the Teeth.” About four m illion and a half were printed in English, while half a m illion were in French, Italian, Polish, Y iddish and Spanish. P e rio d ic M e d ica l E x a m in a tio n s: H ealth examination, health guidance, longevity service or personal preventive medicine is receiving more and more attention by the medical profession through the state and county medical societies (Journal of the Am erican Medical Association, Aug. 2, 1924). A study of the findings of one society, ninety-one members of which were examined, discloses almost every deviation from norm al to be expected in a group presumably healthy, although comparison w ith other series of examina tions by the U nited States Public H ealth Service, and by insurance companies, in di cates that the physicians rate better in “health” than other corresponding age groups. W hether this is due to the in frequency of bad mouth conditions and constipation in the list of “defects” found is a natural question. Contrary to the usual experience, hypotension was fre quent. Physicians, knowing blood pres sure apparatus and technic, are not nervous. T hat physicians, despite ir regular hours of work, deviation from routine as to meals and sleep, and less
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systematic exercise and recreation than is usually considered advisable, rate so high in health would seem to indicate that subconsciously, at least, physicians prac tice w hat they preach. T h e Pred en tal Y e a r : It would appear that before any further additions are made to the preliminary requirements, or to the professional course of instruc tion, in fairness to all, some idea should first be obtained of the results of train ing dental students by the methods in operation. If the product of the dental schools which have been operating under the four-year course, w ith the preliminary requirement of high school education and w ithout a preparatory college year, does not come up to the desired standards of efficiency, then a close survey of the situ ation should be carried out, and such changes and additions introduced into the preparatory education and possibly into the professional curriculum as will pro vide a more skilled type of dental graduate. The demand on the part of educators for college preparatory years should be based strictly upon the needs of dental education.— L. E. Ford, in Pacific Dental Gazette, July, 1924. Death of Dr. S ip p y : Dr. Bertram W . Sippy of Chicago, stomach specialist and noted among physicians for the Sippy treatm ent of stomach ulcers, dropped dead at his summer residence near Ludington, Mich., August 15. Dr. Sippy, who was 57 years old, had been suffering from diabetes for several months. A r m y Dental Sch oo l G rad u a tio n : The graduation exercises of the Arm y Den tal School were held Friday, June 6, in the Form al Garden at the Arm y M edi cal Center, W ashington, D. C. Eleven graduates received their diplomas, pre sented by Secretary of W a r Weeks. N a v a l Dental Schoo l G rad u a tio n : Gradu ation exercises which marked the com pletion of the third course of the Naval Dental School were held, May 29, in the auditorium of the Naval Medical School. Certificates were awarded to all of the dental officers who had successfully com pleted the courses. Those officers of the Dental Corps receiving certificates were: Lieutenants R alph B. Putnam , Frederick M. Ingersoll, Jesse W . M iller, Francis R. H ittinger and H ugh E. M auldin. A cce p ta n ce of R e a p p o in tm e n t in the Dental Officers’ R ese rve C o rp s: Reports
from the office of the Surgeon General of the Army, indicate that a considerable number of Dental Reserve Officers have failed to accept reappointm ent of Com
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The Journal of the American Dental Association
mission. Members of the D ental Officers’ Reserve Corps are advised that all ap pointm ents in the Reserve Corps are for a period of five years as provided by law. Notice of reappointm ent and oath of office is sent to Reserve Officers whose commissions are about to expire, suffi ciently in advance of the expiration date to perm it acceptance and make the ap pointm ents continuous. Failure to ac cept before expiration date autom atically separates the officer from the Reserve Corps, and reinstatem ent can be accom plished only through the form ality of ap plication as for original appointm ent. It is probable that failure to accept is due to m isinterpretation of the promotion regulations published in this Journ al in December, 1923, which provide for promo tion after each five-year period. Reserve officers are advised that these promotions are not made automatically. If Reserve Officers desire promotion upon reappoint ment, they must apply for promotion through the Corps Commander of the area in which they reside, sufficiently in advance of expiration of appointm ent (about sixty days) so that reappointm ent m ay be possible in a higher grade. Of ficers who are offered reappointm ent, but who desire higher grade, should accept reappointm ent in the grade offered and at once apply for promotion. Cooperation on the part of the Reserve Officers in promptly accepting reappointm ent w ill aid in prom oting the progress of the Re serve organization.— M ilitary Dental Jo u r nal, June, 1924. N itr o u s O x id -O x y ge n A n a lg e s ia : A nal gesia is indicated: (1) W here intense or prolonged pain is expected. (2) W here a num ber of cavities present, the prep aration of which will be a distinct shock to the nervous system of the pa tient. (3) W here it is desired to com plete the work as speedily as possible, as for instance in the extremely apprehen sive patient to whom one visit to the dentist is a purgatory in anticipation and each succeeding visit worse, thus pro ducing a distinct dental shock. Contra indications for the use of analgesia in dentistry m ay be taken as the opposite of the above. In so far as the physical condition of the patient is concerned, the contraindications are few. The great advantages of analgesia for cavity prep aration are obviating dental shock and elim inating the fear of the dental engine; and the experience is generally so pleas ant that, instead of the patient looking forward w ith dread to approaching visits to the dentist, the anticipation is one of
equanimity. There are some disadvan tages, am ong which may be mentioned: (1) It is always necessary to have an assistant or dental nurse in attendance. (2) The patient can give less cooperation than without it, but this is largely com pensated by the absence of recoil from pain in the patient, w ith a consequent interruption of work. (3) It is also more difficult to operate with the nose-piece in place, especially if operating on labiogingival cavities in the m axillary anterior teeth. There are some necessities for success: (1) A proper m achine and a nose-piece which does not intrude too greatly on the field of operation. (2) F am iliarity w ith the m inute regulations of the mechanical appliance. (3) F am il iarity with the fundam ental principles of producing analgesia. (4) Knowledge as to how to introduce analgesia to new patients, and ability to obtain their com plete confidence. (5) A knowledge of suggestive therapeutics. (6) And a most intim ate knowledge of the m inute dental anatomy. — Anesthesia and Analgesia, August, 1924. C la ssific a tio n of U. S. M a rin e H o s p itals: The Surgeon General, U. S. Pub
lic H ealth Service, has requested the American College of Surgeons to inspect the Marine Hospitals under his control, twenty-five in number, to the end that these institutions may, if found qualified, be placed on the approved list of hospitals published by th a t organization. P ro c ain in R e gio n al A n e sth e sia : Dr. M. E. Blahd (Journal of the American M edical Association, Aug. 9, 1924) says: I cannot refrain from pointing out the danger of in jecting procain solution w ithin the lum en of a blood vessel. Procain, when properly used, is practi cally nontoxic; but when injected into the circulation, it becomes extremely toxic and may cause sudden and quick death. If just two points are remembered, the accident of injecting procain into the vascular stream w ill never happen: 1. W henever possible, one should keep the needle in continuous m otion while injecting. 2. If it is necessary to inject with the needle in a stationary position, as in the case of an anterior splanchnic anesthesia, one should aspirate for blood before each syringeful is injected. These two points cannot be emphasized too strongly, as it is m y opinion that all procain deaths are due to the presence of procain in the blood stream. I have always observed these two points with the utm ost care, and up to the present
Medical and Dental ¡Slews time have not seen a single case of procain poisoning, in spite of the fact that I have used as m uch as 250 c.c. of 0.5 per cent procain solution at a single operation. T h e F la g : A national flag conference was held in W ashington sometime ago. It was called by the Am erican Legion. It adopted a code which it is hoped will come generally into civilian practice. In display of the flag, as hy this code, the following are fifteen things to avoid: 1. Do not dip the flag of the United States to any person or any thing. The regimental color, State flag, organization or institutional flag, w ill render this honor. A t sea the flag may be dipped in acknowledgment of the salute of the flag of another nation. 2. Do not display the flag of the United States w ith the U nion down ex cept as a signal of distress. 3. Do not place any other flag or pen n ant above or to the right of the flag of the U nited States. 4. Do not let the flag of the United States touch the ground or trail in the water. 5. Do not place any object or emblem of any kind on or above the flag of the United States. 6. Do not use the flag as drapery; use bunting. 7. Do not fasten the flag in such m an ner as w ill perm it it to be easily torn. 8. Do not drape the flag over the hood, top or sides of a vehicle or of a railroad train or boats. If it is desired to dis play the flag on a motor car affix the staff firmly to the chassis or clamp it to the radiator cap, 9. Do not use the flag to cover a speak er’s desk or to drape over front of a platform or over chairs or benches. 10. Do not display the flag on a float in a parade except on a staff. 11. Do not use the flag as a ceiling covering. 12. Do not use the flag of the United States as a portion of a costume or of an athletic uniform. Do not embroider it upon cushions or handkerchiefs or print it on paper napkins or boxes. 13. Do not put lettering upon the flag.
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14. Do not use the flag of the United States in any form of advertising nor fasten an advertising sign to a flag pole. 15. Do not display, use or store the flag in such a m anner as w ill permit it to be easily soiled or damaged. A suggestion that the proper salute to the flag by a woman be the m ilitary salute employed by soldiers in uniform was amended to read that her right hand should be placed over her heart in pay ing respect to the emblem. P u b lic ity and E d u ca tio n : The suc cess of any public health procedure depends largely on sound organization— with sufficient powers and personnel. A properly organized division of Child Hygiene in a State Departm ent of Health can stim ulate the local com munity and w ill tap the resources in the national field. The facilities for suitable publicity and education are of vital importance. The objective of our publicity should be to build up an inform ed public opinion which w ill support a well rounded pro gram of child hygiene. This program m ust contain ample provision for the education of the individual. Our educa tional m atter m ust be of proper char acter and our personnel m ust under stand the principles of teaching. Too often we mistake public health inform a tion for education.— American Journal of Public Health. ... ARMY
Captain Jerome L. Pritsche w ill report to retiring, board, Fitzsimons General Hospital, for exami nation.— Arm y and Navy Register, Ju ly 19, 1924. Colonel John H. Hess having been found by an Arm y retiring board in capacitated for active service on account of disability incident thereto, his retire m ent from active service is announced; proceed home.— Arm y and Navy Register, August 2, 1924. Captain John N. W hite from duty at medical field service school, Carlisle Barracks, Pa., to Fort W illiam s, Me., for duty.— Arm y and Navy Register, August 16, 1924. D en tal
C o rp s: